Clever Working Title
by shiftgiggles
Summary: Tomoe and Nanami are married and facing the challenges of starting a new family.
1. Part 1: Beneath the Sakura

Tomoe spread the blanket on the grass just as Nanami had finished placing the last talisman on a young cherry sapling that Tomoe had planted earlier that month. She joined Tomoe on the blanket and picked up her chopsticks.

"Beef curry and Shitake mushrooms. MMM!"

Tomoe looked at her amused. "I never thought that I would hear you say those words" he chortled. Nanami smiled, "me either, pregnancy cravings are the worse!"

It became something of a tradition on their anniversary to have a picnic and watch the falling sakura in the orchard near the shrine. For the past years, however, the orchard had diminished in size because of fire and disease.

"How is the new sapling doing?" Tomoe asked.

"It's healthy, but I'm afraid the disease is spreading to the other trees as well and we might have to cut them down," Nanami answered.

Tomoe said nothing and took a long sip of sake admiring Nanami's new kimono. "That is a beautiful kimono; however, isn't it a bit large on you?" Tomoe asked.

Nanami smooth her fingers over the cream silk fabric and touched the intricate embroidery on the purple butterflies. "Thank you, Tomoe. It was a present from Kamehime and Mikage. I think the kimono is meant to grow with me as the pregnancy progresses. At this rate, I might need a bigger kimono by the time the baby is born."

The afternoon sun was beginning to set. Tomoe clutched his cup of sake with one hand while he absent-mindedly caressed Nanami's head as it covered his lap.

"Nanami, shouldn't we choose a name for the child?"

Nanami's eyes widened in thought. "Don't you think that it might be too soon? I'm only two months along, after all."

Tomoe looked passed the horizon. "It's almost three months. You are almost done with the first trimester. How about 'Hatsuko' or 'Taimu'?"

Nanami shook her head no. "What makes you think it will be a boy, Tomoe?" Tomoe smirked, "I can sense these things and I read all your medical textbooks."

A mischievous look flashed in Nanami's eyes. "Well, how about Himetarou, then?" Tomoe looked at her surprised as she let out a giggle.

"I was wondering why that boy kept calling me Himetarou. I hated that name," he told her.

"Sorry! Not sorry!" Nanami said laughingly.

"I know you called me Himetarou to protect me from the village men, and for that you have my eternal gratitude. Your half-assed apology is also accepted."

Nanami stared at him in disbelief. "I called you that to protect you from Yukiji. Yukiji was scary and lethal. The villagers feared her more than they feared the Youkai that plagued their village. I've told you how she beheaded a youkai casually lurking in my room."

Tomoe looked up at her surprised at her sudden outburst, "that was not the Yukiji that I remember."

"Then consider yourself among the lucky," Nanami said sternly. "She was never the same after her village burned down."

"That was Akura-Ou who burned down her village! " Tomoe interjected.

Nanami jumped. "But you did nothing to stop him, Tomoe! You are guilty by association!"

Confused, Tomoe stared at her blankly. Where did this sudden outburst or anger come from? He picked her up and placed her on his lap. "You win – you are right. Let's not argue about this again," wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling her neck.

"Surely a few centuries in service to a god helps repay my debt to society, does it not?"

His words did little to soothe her as he could feel her start to quietly sob.

"What's wrong?" Tomoe was alarmed and then he felt himself getting aggravated. "We've had this argument many times before, Nanami!" he growled.

"That's not it," Nanami said quietly. "I'm just sad. Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones, but I got sad thinking about Yukiji. She had trouble becoming a mother as well."

There was silence between them. In the past three years of their short eight year marriage, they had been trying desperately to expand their family with little success. Two miscarriages, one too many false starts. The heartache beginning to settle in Nanami's 27 years of existence.

Tomoe softened, "Yukiji became pregnant without the aid of the Dragon King's eye as did you. She loved you, Nanami. While she was in my care, Yukiji took careful lengths to make sure that I could not see her eyes. I thought back then it was because her heart has closed."

Nanami sniffed, "Why did she do that?" Tomoe grasped her hand. "You already know the answer, my love. It was her way of ensuring that my love and affection remained true to you. She did not have those unclouded eyes of yours."

"My eyes are no longer unclouded," she pouted. Tomoe stroked her cheek with the top of his long claw.

"You are right, I like these eyes better. Your eyes are that of a brave, fearless woman. Deep and passionate yet still full of hope and trust."

Nanami's lip quivered, her voice shaking, "I'm afraid, Tomoe. Yukiji was able to give birth safely because of the Eye. We will not be so fortunate."

Tomoe placed a soft finger on her mouth to silence her; however, Nanami was not to be deterred. "I want you to promise me something. If you ever have to choose between my life and that of our child's…please, Tomoe, choose our child for my sake."

Tomoe kneeled in front of Nanami. "Please don't make me choose. You deserve to be a mother the most. Your warmth and strength - I've spent centuries without that," tears began sliding down his face.

"Tomoe! If this baby….if this pregnancy doesn't…isn't successful. Then, I can never…" her voice trailed off. Tomoe grabbed her waist, pulling her onto the ground with him. The soft pink petals fell silently as they laid there hopelessly gazing into each other eyes.

"The Sakura, Nanami," Tomoe said after a while. "Do you remember when I took you to see it the first time?"

Nanami wiped her tears and smiled, "I almost forgot about that." He grabbed the hairpin from her hair and clutched the pin against his chest. Nanami shook her hair from the loosened bun, the long waves grazing the tops of her breast on her half open kimono.

Tomoe brushed the petals from her face. "Don't you remember, that if you die, I die as well? Should our child suffer a lonely childhood as we have?"

Nanami said nothing, cupping her hand against Tomoe's cheek. "I promise you, Tomoe, next year we will be among these trees together. All three of us."


	2. Part 2 - Tenth Anniversary

Twins!" Nanami said proudly waving the pictures from the sonogram. Tomoe looked on annoyed. "I told you that already! Why do you act like this is new information? My hearing far exceeds than that of human and youkai alike."

Tomoe stared at Nanami in complete annoyance. They had stayed at the doctor's office longer than necessary because Kei had to deliver another patient's baby even though there was party preparations and shrine duties that needed to be attended to. He quickly found his annoyance dissipate, and instead found himself admiring the warm look in Nanami's eyes, the sheen of her skin, and the rosiness in her cheeks. 'She is so stunning!' he smiled.

"So, are we keeping the babies' gender a secret?" the Dragon King asked.

"Well," Nanami started, "We are having a girl and a boy. But here's where it gets complicated: so far as we can tell, the girl looks human while the boy has fox ears."

"It seems that one child will be human while the other is youkai," Tomoe finished.

"Anyway, we will talk about babies later. Right now, I just want celebrate the past ten years we've had at the shrine."

Nanami surveyed the room, her eyes lingering on her most cherished friendships: Himemiko and Kotarou, Ami and Kurama, Mikage, Mizuki, the Dragon King and Kimehime, Onikiri, Kotetsu, Juiro, Shuiro, Kei and Isobe. Like Mikage had said: these were bonds that she, a little girl growing up alone, had formed. For these past ten years, she relied on these bonds heavily - through high school, college, her father's death, and her marriage. Yet, there was one bond - a single thought, that crept slowly from the back of her mind: Akura-Ou. Nanami felt a tear slide down her cheek.

"What's wrong, Nanami? Pregnancy hormones again?" Tomoe asked.

Nanami brushed the tears on the back of her kimono. "Yes, my hormones are getting out of hand."

"Do you want me to announce it then?" Tomoe asked.

"No. For now, I just want to enjoy this. I haven't seen everyone in one room since our wedding!"

A looked of concern crossed Tomoe's face. "We will need to tell them soon."


	3. An unexpected letter

"Tomoe, I'm home!" Nanami entered the kitchen, setting her purse down on the kitchen counter. She grabbed a piece of fruit, gently rubbing her growing belly. 'I know, I know...you're hungry,' she silently spoke to her unborn babies. As she peeled a nearby orange, Nanami's eyes fell on a strange letter. No return address, just her name and address in a familiar handwriting. 'Could this be from dad?' Astonished, she opened the letter carefully reading the contents. She wiped her tears away just as Tomoe rounded the corner.

"Nanami, welcome home." Tomoe set a few bags of groceries on the counter, touched Nanami's belly, and kissed her on the lips.

"How was your day?" he asked.

"It's alright."

Sensing her tension, Tomoe studied her face carefully. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm fine, Tomoe"

Tomoe crossed his arms and frowned. "That wasn't a question. What's wrong?"

Nanami cast her eyes downwards and handed Tomoe the letter. She started towards their room before telling Tomoe that she was going to go lie down.

Tomoe read the letter, a frown settling into his fine features. His thoughts turned to the past four painful months.

Relations between a Youkai and a human was taboo, but even more so between deity and ayakashi. Tomoe was no longer Nanami's familiar, but it did little to mitigate the anger of some of the more prominent members in the Counsel of the Gods. Fortunately, Mikage, Otohiko, and several gods were able to intervene on the couple's behalf preventing both of their imprisonment to Yomi-No-Kuni and the complete destruction of the shrine. As a condition, Tomoe and Nanami had to leave the home they have both known for the better part of their lives. Nanami's godhood will be removed before the birth of their children and transferred back to Mikage.

Tomoe felt his control spinning away from his fingertips. So long as he had the shirine,-his home, he always felt in control, that anything is possible. His doubts and worries have begun to seep deep into his thoughts and actions, manifesting itself into heated arguments. Tomoe and Nanami's relationship have been shaky at best. The arguments increasing over Tomoe's feelings of Nanami's naivete and lack of understanding over their desperate circumstances.

Nanami's godly powers have the potential to be strong, if not, stronger than Mikage's powers Powers that can mean immortality It was the fervent hope in each of the shrine residents that, with time, Nanami would be able to fully tap into her full powers. The removal of her divinity was a death sentence for herself and their unborn children.

Tomoe came into the room and found Nanami's face buried into pillows. He tenderly brushed the hair that clung to her face wet with tears.

"What are you thinking?" Tomoe studied her face closely. "You are not seriously thinking of going are you?" the anger suddenly rising in his voice.

"Nothing, I'm just tired," said Nanami softly. The tension between them hung in the air like sticky miasma.

"It's not just nothing," yelled Tomoe.

"Why does every conversation have to become and argument?!" Nanami yelled. Suddenly, as if on cue, she felt a sharp quick on the side of her abdomen. "OW!" she exclaimed. Tomoe looked concerned. "Is that supposed to happen so soon?"

"Even as half youkai, the babies are powerful. It doesn't help that my divinity is slowly draining away."

Tomoe took a deep breath. Pulling Nanami close he nuzzled into her neck. "What would you like to do?"

"I think I would like to meet up with him, but only if you go with me," answered Nanami. "I know how you feel about my father and he is my father after all. If this is the last thing I can do for him, then I will try my best. Can we handle this? We have to find a house before the babies are born. I have deadlines to meet at work. I don't know if we can finish everything in six months."

For once Tomoe softened."I know your father's absence has bothered you for a while and that you would probably would like to know how he died," Tomoe said thoughtfully. "We will meet with your father's lawyer at his offices next week," he decided. "It is settled then. Come, I will prepare dinner."

Nanami followed Tomoe into the kitchen. Doubts still plagued her mind, but most of all she wondered why the letter from her father was dated a year after his death. She went back into the room to take a closer look. 'Perhaps it was written by someone else? But her father's elegant handwriting was so distinct. The letter was written nine years ago back when Akura-Ou was able to get his body back and the ensuing chaos that followed. She shuddered at the thought and reassured herself that those events had anything to do with her father.

As she walked back towards the kitchen, she felt a resolve: 'I just need to live day by day. Take one step at a time. This stress can't be good for anyone, but what do I do about Tomoe's bad mood? He hasn't been this irritable since…"

She took her place at the table across from Tomoe. "Did you eat lunch today? You always skip lunch," Tomoe snarled accusingly. 'So it starts,' thought Nanami. "Can you please pass the soy sauce?" She knocked her ice water onto the front of her shirt as she reached.

"Crap! That was cold!" Before she had a chance to get up, Tomoe was already on his feet with a towel in hand. He stopped dead in his tracks, staring at her chest. Nanami grabbed the towel from his grasp. "Thank you, Tomoe."

A slow smirk spread across Tomoe's face. "Here, let me help you change out of that shirt before you catch cold," he smiled slyly. In a flash, dinner and arguments were promptly forgotten. 'That's right, that's how I manage Tomoe before. Just lots of…."


End file.
